Ammunition-loading apparatus for heavy guns.



A. T. DAWSON & J. HORNE. AMMUNITION LOADING APPARATUS FOR HEAVY GUNS. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1909.

1,071,606, Patented Aug.26,1913.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

comma PLANOGRAPH CO4. WASHINGTON. n. c.

A. T. DAWSON & J. HORNE.

AMMUNITION LOADING APPARATUS FOR HEAVY GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED D1204, 1909.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

'7 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. T. DAWSON & J. HORNE.

AMMUNITION LOADING APPARATUS FOR HEAVY GUNS.

APPLIUATION FILED DEO.4, 1909.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO.,-WASHINUTON, D. c.

A. T. DAWSON & J. HORNE.

AMMUNITION LOADING APPARATUS FOR HEAVY GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED BBQ-4, 1909. LQ'F'LGQB. Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

7 SHEETS-BHEBT 4.

COLUMBIA PLANODRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, n c.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 4, 1909.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co. WASHINGTON. 0. c4

A. T. DAWSON & J. HORNE.

AMMUNITION LOADING APPARATUS FOR HEAVY GUNS.

APPLIOATVION FILED D30. 4, 1909.

1,071 ,606, Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

. I I My}? COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH CO-AWASHINGTON. 0. c.

APPLICATION I'ILED 1330.4, 1909.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WA5HINIJTON,

STATES PAENT OFFTQE.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, AND JAMES HORNE, OF BARROW-IN-FURNESS, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO VICKERS LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

AMMUNITION-LOADING APPARATUS FOR HEAVY GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A119. 26,1913.

Application filed December 4, 1909. Serial No. 531,356.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR TREVOR IlLuvson and James HORNE, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing, respectively, at 32 Victoria street, \Vestmim ster, in the county of London, England, and Naval Construction WVorks, Barrow-in- Furness, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Ammunition-Loading Apparatus for Heavy Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ammunition loading apparatus for heavy guns of the kind wherein the powder charges and projectiles are elevated to the loading position by cages which in their ascent lie in a more or less vertical position and are tilted about their transverse axes so as to come to rest in a more or less horizontal position behind the gun breech.

The chief object of the present invention is to enable projectiles of increased length to be used without materially increasing the usual distance that exists between the gun breech and the rammer when the gun is in the loading position. That is to say al though the length of the projectiles is greater than the aforesaid distance, we are yet enabled to bring them into a longitudinal position between the said gun breech and rammer. l ve can thus use projectiles of increased length without making the turn table of increased diameter which would be objectionable on account of the additional weight that would be involved and the increased power required for actuating it.

Our invention can also be employed with the object of reducing the usual clearance at the rear of the gun, in connection with projectiles of ordinary length, so that we can effect a reduction in the size of the turntable and obtain all the advantages that arise by such reduction.

According to our invention we transversely pivot the projectile tray to the cage which carries the powder charges in a horizontal or approximately horizontal position and we provide means whereby, during the ascent of the cage, the said tray occupies an inclined or oblique position relatively to the powder charges and upon the cage approaching the completion of its elevation and the nose of the projectile reaching a po sition adjacent to the gun breech, the said tray is caused to assume a position to bring the projectile more or less parallel to the powder charges and in alinement with the axis of the gun with its base opposite the rammer. It will be obvious that while the projectile tray is in its inclined position the linear horizontal distance between its nose and base is less than such distance when the projectile occupies its position co-axial with the gun breech and that as the breech is open during the pivotal movement of the projectile tray into the position co-axial with the breech, the nose of the projectile is able to enter the breech to an extent that will compensate for the excess in the length of the projectile over thatof the distance between the breech and the rammer.

In order that our said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, we will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a sectional elevation and Fig. 2 a sectional plan of a gun mounting provided with one form of our improved powder charge cage. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation showing a modified form of our improved powder charge cage. Fig. l is a sectional elevation showing another modified form of our improved powder charge age. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a side elevation and a crosssection of the powder charge cage drawn on a larger scale. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation showing a still further modified form of our improved powder charge cage.

Like letters of reference indicate similar parts inall the figures.

A is the gun, B the turntable and C the powder charge cage, which in the'drawings is represented by the loading cage that lifts the ammunition from the working chamber to the gun.

I) D are the rails by which the cage is guided in its ascent and descent to and from the gun breech.

E is the working chamber wherein the loading cage receives the powder charges and projectile from the central hoist F by any of the usual methods.

G is the rammer. V

C is the projectile tray which is hinged to the cage by a transverse pivot so as to permit of the said tray assuming its aforesaid inclined or oblique position during the ascent of the cage and of assuming a more or less horizontal osition in alinement with the gun when the cage reaches its fully raised position.

Any appropriate means may be employed for the purpose of causing the said pivoted projectile tray to move from its inclined to its horizontal position; in the drawings we have shown the said tray provided with an arm 0 which as the loading cage approaches the completion of its upward movement is acted upon by a suitably arranged cam piece h. When the gun is adapted to be loaded at any angle of elevation this cam piece is situated on the loading arm A of the gun slide A in the manner illustrated by way of example in Figs. 1 and 2. I/Vhen the gun is adapted to be loaded in a predetermined ositio-n the said cam may be situated in a fixed position as shown by way of example in Fig. 3, the said cam piece in this case forming part of a grooved guide rail h in which the free end of the said arm 0 travels during the ascent and descent of the cage. In Figs. 1 and 2 a spring 0 is provided for returning the projectile tray to its inclined position as the cage leaves the aforesaid cam piece h and descends. In Fig. 3 the said tray is adapted to assume this position under the influence of the guide rail 72, without the assistance of a spring.

In order to bring the said tray to a more or less horizontal position when the cage reaches its lowered position for receiving the projectile, we provide a cam piece 71? (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) for acting upon the said arm 0 as the cage completes its descent, the said cam piece in Fig. 3 forming part of the guide rail h.

The projectile tray may be arranged to assume its inclined position by tilting so that the rear part thereof moves either upward or downward. about its pivotal connection with the cage; in the latter case the projectile lies with its base lowermost and resting against a ledge 0 on the tray as in Figs. 1 and 3; in the former case the said projectile lies with its nose lowermost and resting against a removable lip or stops 0 as in Figs. 4 to 7.

In the arrangements illustrated by Figs. 4L to 7 wherein the pivot c is situated near the forward end. of the tray and the projectile is raised nose downward, a catch or similar contrivance is required for retaining the tray in its inclined position during the upward movement of the cage, the said catch being adapted to be liberatedas the cage completes its upward movement, so that the tray will then assume its position for bringing the projectile in alinement with the gun breech by the action'of gravity. In the examples shown the said catch is in the form of a spring bolt 72, (Fig. 6) mounted on the cage and adapted to engage with a recess 0 in the projectile tray when the latter is tilted into the inclined position and said recess comes opposite the bolt. As the cage reaches its upper position this bolt is disengaged from the recess in the projectile tray so as to permit the latter to assume the horizontal position by means of a cam piece 7L acting upon a rocking arm 71, connected with the said bolt.

In order to retain the projectile in place in the tray as the cage is ascending we provide the pivot about which the tray swings with a loose arm 0 carrying the aforesaid movable stop or lip 0 and this loose arm has an extension 0 engaging with a spring 0. This spring normally tends to keep the said arm in a position with the stop or lip 0* in front of the nose of the projectile during the ascent of the cage. As the cage completes its upward journey the catch bolt h is released by the cam piece h whereupon the projectile tray assumes its horizontal position, the arm 0 being prevented from participating in this movement of the projectile tray by bearing against the loading tray A. Therefore when the projectile tray is in the horizonal position, the stop or lip 0 lies in in a position in which it will ofier no impediment to the ramming of the projectileinto the gun. In these arrangements also a resilient stop or buifer 727 is provided for the tray to come against as it assumes its position in alinement with the gun breech by the action of gravity. WVe furthermore provide a bearing surface 9 against which the base of'the projectile bears while the tray is assuming its horizontal position at the gun breech, thus causing the said projectile to move inwardly along the tray and introduce its nose into the gun breech. This bearing surface 9 is not required when the projectile tray assumes an inclined position with its base downward (as in Figs. 1 to 3) because the action of the tray in assuming its horizontal position at the gun breech causes the nose of the projectile to be introduced into the breech. It will. of course be understood that the breech will be fully opened and the leading tray A will be turned into its operative position before the cage completes its ascent so as to leave the breech ready to receive the nose of the projectile. If found convenient the said tray may be allowed to remain in its inclined position when the cage reaches its lowered position in which case the aforesaid cam piece it would be unnecessary.

In the arrangement shown by Figs. 4 to 7 the projectile tray, when empty, does not become tilted or inclined during the descent of the cage, the length of said tray being less than that of the projectile and less than the distance between the gun breech and the rannner. The said tray becomes tilted into its inclined position as the cage ascends by the action of the cam if in the construction shown in Figs. 4 to 6 and by a spring controlled hinged flap or switch [L3 in the construction shown in Fig. 7. In the former arrangement (Figs. 4: to 6) the said cam h is formed with an inclined portion at its upper part and a double inclined portion at its lower part, a cam piece 7t being suitably arranged for acting upon the rocking arm [L of the catch bolt h on the cage so as to keep said catch bolt retracted during the time that the cage is passing the cam in in completing its descent. The upper inclined portion of the said cam h acts upon the arm 0 of the projectile tray and tempo rarily tilts the said tray in order to bring the said arm 0 into the double inclined portion at the lower part of the cam 7% the said tray resun'iing its horizontal position as the arm 0 passes down the double inclined portion of the cam. After the tray has been charged with the projectile and as the cage caused to ascend, the double inclined portion of the cam acts upon the arm a and causes the cage to be again tilted, the intervening portion of the cam h between the inclined portions thereof holding the arm and therefore the tray in the tilted position until in the continued ascent of the cage, the rocking arm it has cleared the cam piece it" and permitted the catch bolt [L0 to engage with the projectile tray in order to lock it in the tilted or inclined position. The said tray is thus retained in the inclined position until the cage approaches the completion of its ascent and the cam piece 7L8 releases the catch bolt h as before explained. In the arrangement shown by Fig. 7, the free end of the arm 0 travels along the outer side of the aforesaid hinged switch 7L3 as the cage descends. The said switch occupies an in clined position and gives way as the cage descends thus permitting the tray to remain in its horizontal position. As the cage ascends the free end of the said arm 0' travels along the inner side of the said inclined flap or switch and causes the tray to tilt into its inclined position by reason of the flap or switch being held rigidly against a stop 72, by the action of its spring iv".

The term horizontal above used in connection with the projectile tray is intended to include any approximately horizontal position the said tray may assume when it is tilted about its pivot to bring the projectile into alinement with the gun breech and the rammer.

We do not desire to limit ourselves to the use of the aforesaid pivoted projectile tray with a cage for supplying the ammunition trom the working chamber E to the gun breech, as it is obvious that the said tray can with advantage be used with the cages commonly employed for raising the projectiles from the shell rooms to the working chamber.

hat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In gun loading apparatus, the combi nation with the powder charge cage, of a pivoted projectile tray, means whereby the said tray occupies an inclined position during its ascent, and means for causing the said tray upon reaching the gun breech to assume a position in which the nose of the projectile enters the breech.

i In gun loading apparatus, the combination with the powder charge cage, of a projectile tray transversely pivoted thereto, means whereby said tray occupies an inclined position during its ascent and means for automatically causing said tray to assume a posit-ion in alinement with the gun upon reaching the gun breech.

3. In gun loading apparatus, the combination with the powder charge cage, of a projectile tray pivot-ed thereto, means whereby said tray occupies an inclined position during its ascent, means for causing said tray to assume a position in alinement with the gun upon reaching the gun breech with the nose of the projectile entering the breech.

4. In gun loading apparatus, the combination with the powder charge cage, of a projectile tray transversely pivoted thereto, an arm on said tray, and means cooperating with said arm when the powder charge cage completes its upward movement to rock the tray about its pivotal connection with the powder charge cage and cause it to assume a position in alinement with the gun.

5. In gun loading apparatus, the combination with the powder charge cage, of a projectile tray transversely pivoted thereto, an arm on said tray, and a cam piece with which the said arm cooperates when the loading tray completes its upwardmovement and cause it to assume a position in alinement with the gun.

6. In gun loading apparatus, the combination with the powder charge cage, of a projectile tray transversely pivoted thereto, an arm on said tray, a fixed cam piece with which the said arm cooperates when the lcadin g tray completes its upward movement, and a second fixed cam piece which acts upon said arm as the cage completes its descent.

7. In gun loading apparatus, the combination with the powder charge cage, of a projectile tray transversely pivoted thereto, an arm on said tray, and a guide rail with In testimony whereof we afiiX our signa- 20 tures in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. JAMES HORNE.

Witnesses to the signature of Arthur T revor Dawson:

HENRY KING, H. P. VENN. Witnesses to the signature of James Horne:

M. G. ATKINSON, H. T. McDowALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

